Sing songs with Ocupella and hold signs, use a sign created by Tax the Rich or create your own on the GOP-Trump tax plan.
We scored a huge victory on Tuesday, September 12th, when Berkeley city council approved a $25,000 appropriation for Oakland’s public bank feasibility study. We are in deep gratitude to Berkeley residents who contacted their councilmembers and pressured them to support this issue. Please be sure to call your city councilmembers and thank them for their support. You can find their contact information here.
At the September 19 Oakland City Council meeting, the councilmembers voted to fund $75,000 of the $100,000 we need to do our feasibility study.
On September 25 at 7:00 p.m. in Oakland’s City Council Chambers, 14th and Broadway, Councilmembers Dan Kalb and Rebecca Kaplan sponsored a great event, organized by us and Local Clean Energy Alliance.
Wolfram Morales, Chief Economist for Sparkasse, the association of local public banks in Germany, explained the role of these institutions in speeding the development of local renewable resources such as solar and wind, at this panel discussion in City Hall.
Joining Wolfram were: Nicolas Chaset, CEO of East Bay Community Energy (Alameda County’s soon-to-launch Community Choice energy program), Greg Rosen, Founder and Principal of High Noon Advisors (member of the East Bay Community Shared Solar Collaborative), and Jessica Tovar, Organizer for East Bay Clean Power Alliance.
OccupyForum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!
The Original Free Speech Movement:
“Berkeley in the Sixties”
Berkeley is considered the birthplace of the original Free Speech Movement, a massive, long-lasting, student-led protest against campus restrictions on political speech. Students first aimed to support the struggle for civil rights and later opposed the Vietnam War. In 1964, the Berkeley campus became the seedbed of the nascent antiwar movement when student demonstrations culminated in the mass arrest of hundreds of protesters. Under the leadership of Mario Savio, Jack Weinberg, Michael Rossman, Jackie Goldberg and others, and the participation of thousands of students, the Free Speech Movement was the first mass civil disobedience on a college campus in the U.S. Students demanded the administration lift the ban on on-campus political activities, and acknowledge students’ right to free speech and academic freedom. Spanning the Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, it had far-reaching influence on the political views and values of generations of college students, college administrations, and the general public of the U.S.
OccupyForum will screen “Berkeley in the Sixties” by Mark Kitchell, and discuss the Free Speech Movement in light of the recent co-opting of the name by the extreme right.
Time will be allotted for discussion and announcements.
Donations to Occupy Forum to cover costs are encouraged; no one turned away!
Because of the COVID pandemic we will be meeting virtually via Zoom on the first Monday of the month.
Meeting ID: 828 0976 4186
The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality & State Repression (OGC) is a
grassroots democratic organization that was formed as a conscious united front for justice against police brutality. The OGC is involved in the struggle for police accountability and is committed to stopping police brutality.
In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.
We meet on the 1st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to
oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
SunShares Workshop:
Interested in going solar or buying an electric vehicle, but don’t know where to start?
SunShares is a renewable energy program that offers discounts, free workshops and helps Bay Area residents, including renters, learn more about their clean energy options.
Attend this free workshop to learn about the SunShares program, how solar works and how the financials of renewable energy benefit YOU! Solar and electric vehicle providers will be on hand to discuss their products and answer any questions you may have about going solar or buying/leasing an electric vehicle.
To sign up for this free workshop, please visit: www.bayareasunshares.org.
A fundraising concert of Puerto Rican diaspora music by Majo and Taller Bombaléle.
All proceeds will go to Hurricane María Community Relief Fund
If you can’t come but want to donate or are looking for ways to help click here:
www.losambulantes.com/help-puerto-rico
Majo:
music is medicine : esotérica tropical
mariajosemontijo.bandcamp.com
Taller Bombaléle:
Afro-Puerto Rican drum and dance ensemble. Community music. De Santurce a la bahía, la bomba es vida. Be ready to sing and dance.
facebook.com/TallerBombalele
Show starts at 7pm
$10-20 suggested donation
Join Indivisible East Bay for beers/pizza/happy hour and, most importantly, text-banking to support the resistance!
We’ll be using a system created by our partner, Rapid Resist, to mobilize voters for local organizers’ events around the country. They’ve recruited for organizations like the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Indivisible Jacksonville, and Working America, and moved thousands to oppose the Trump administration’s agenda.
If you haven’t texted with Rapid Resist before, it is SO easy and SO effective. Come check it out!
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
– A mobile device with a good battery charge
– The “Hustle” P2P texting app (available via iTunes Store or Google Play)
Pack the Courtroom for Yvette’s Sacramento Court date
12:30 Press Conference
1:30 Pack the court room
720 9th Street
Urgent: Yvette Felarca and Eddy Robinson were arrested while protesting at UC-Berkeley on Tuesday, September 26th. While protesting alt-right Portland-based thugs, Joey Gibson and his Patriot Prayer group and other neo-fascists at UC Berkeley, Yvette was assaulted by one of the white supremacists. Then, while following beside the alt-right march and chanting, Yvette was jostled and pushed by the thugs into their march. The police, who had been pointing-out Yvette all day, immediately surrounded Yvette and arrested her and Eddy. Thanks to the swift support and action of the movement, both Yvette and Eddy were released on bail and are awaiting their arraignment.
We are demanding that these false charges against Yvette, Eddy and other anti-racist/anti-fascist protesters be dropped now! Both of them were doing nothing but chanting or holding up signs next to or in front of the white supremacists. Their arrests on Tuesday were politically motivated to try to demobilize the protest and the movement. The Berkeley police targeted Yvette in order to raise the stakes in her Sacramento hearing on Wednesday, October 4th and may try to raise her bond. We need to defeat this attack and defend our leaders. We urgently need donations NOW to Yvette’s legal defense campaign and share with others.
From Yvette:
“Berkeley and the Bay Area stand strong as a national model for what it means to be a sanctuary, and how to build the Resistance to defeat the Alt-Right, white supremacists, and fascists, and to force Trump to resign or be removed. Our movement’s victory last week dealt a humiliating defeat to Yiannopoulos and the whole Alt-Right Terror Week. On Sunday, September 24th, Yiannopoulos was forced to flee to his vehicle after appearing for less than 20 minutes, as BAMN and other anti-racist protesters marched toward him across Sproul Plaza. We are stronger than ever and will continue our march forward to make California a real sanctuary state for all immigrants, defend DACA and stop all deportations, and build the movement to demand Trump resign or be removed By Any Means Necessary. All the bogus charges against myself and other anti-racist and anti-fascist protesters must be dropped now.”
Link to Donate to Drop the Charges Against Yvette Felarca: https://fundrazr.com/81GeUc?ref=sh_c6nIv5
Video of Yvette being pushed by alt-right thugs into their march (her arrest follows seconds later): https://twitter.com/shteveonpurpose/status/912792813045129216
Newsweek article on Yvette: http://www.newsweek.com/alt-rights-worst-nightmare-antifa-middle-school-teacher-669946
Today, join us at the Police Commission meeting! Tasers are off the agenda, but we'll be there making sure the often deadly weapons don't come back.https://t.co/bxKBvzMPsc pic.twitter.com/kUcg0JDsHv
— DSA San Francisco (@DSA_SF) October 4, 2017
Tasers are on the agenda for the police commission meeting. They may be voting at this meeting and will have a public hearing on the subject!
Show up, speak out, and let’s shut down tasers for SFPD.
Today, join us at the Police Commission meeting! Tasers are off the agenda, but we'll be there making sure the often deadly weapons don't come back.https://t.co/bxKBvzMPsc pic.twitter.com/kUcg0JDsHv
— DSA San Francisco (@DSA_SF) October 4, 2017
Tasers are on the agenda for the police commission meeting. They may be voting at this meeting and will have a public hearing on the subject!
Show up, speak out, and let’s shut down tasers for SFPD.
Berkeley’s PRC subcommittee is holding a hearing on the June 20 City Council meeting about Urban Shield that ended in police confrontation.
Here is the call for anyone who attended that meeting and wants to testify to the PRC.
Notice Inviting Testimony
The Berkeley Police Review Commission (PRC) recently voted to open an investigation into whether the police response at and following the June 20, 2017 City Council meeting on Urban Shield was appropriate, and to create a subcommittee for this purpose.
The subcommittee will discuss the issues and take related public testimony at its meeting on October 4, 2017 beginning at 6:00 pm at the South Berkeley Senior Center.
If you were present at the end of the June 20th council meeting and saw theprotest and BPD’s response we would like to hear from you.
If you cannot attend the October 4, 2017 meeting you can forward written comments to PRC staff at prc@cityofberkeley.info.
We are also asking for anyone with relevant video footage of the end of the Council meeting or events immediately afterwards outside of Longfellow to forward the video footage to us. Contact Katherine Lee, PRC Secretary, at 510-981-4960 or email prc@cityofberkeley.info for more information on how to submit
video footage.
PLEASE NOTE: oral testimony, written comments, and videos submitted to the PRC Subcommittee or staff will become part of the public record and will be made available to the public upon request.
Thank you for any information you can provide.
The Oakland Public Library, in collaboration with the James Baldwin Project, will present a special evening of film and discussion.
Filmmakers Karen Thorsen and Douglas Dempsey will screen their documentary “The Price of the Ticket” that traces the life and career of writer James Baldwin.
A community conversation about the issues raised in the film will follow the screening. Oakland History Room librarian Dorothy Lazard will moderate.
This event is free and open to the public.
Mario Savio Memorial Lecture and Young Activist Award Annie LeonardUC Berkeley is proud to announce Annie Leonard as this year’s Mario Savio Memorial Lecture speaker. The executive director of Greenpeace USA will present a lecture entitled: “Resistance: What does effective resistance look like and include today?”
Wheelchair accessible.
This is a benefit for the Savio Lecture Project.
Co-sponsored by KPFA.
For more information, visit events.berkeley.edu
You are invited to the October 5 Privacy Commission meeting, where we will discuss the August 16 ICE Raid in West Oakland. Almost all of the statements made by Chief Kirkpatrick pertaining to the raid are demonstrably FALSE. She has been invited to attend to answer our questions; we’ll see if that happens.
Agenda:
1. 5:00pm: Call to Order, determination of quorum
2. 5:05pm: Review and approval of July 6 meeting minutes
3. 5:10pm: Open Forum
4. 5:15pm: Discussion with Oakland Police Department Chief Kirkpatrick regarding the August 16 ICE raid
5. 5:35pm: Discuss and take possible action on Oakland Police Department Immigration Policy No. 415
6. 5:50pm: Review and take possible action on an ordinance prohibiting City business with vendors that provide services to ICE
7. 6:10pm: Staff status update on Surveillance Equipment Ordinance labor discussions
8. 6:15pm: Staff status update on database review project
9. 6:25pm: Review and discussion of Seattle citywide Privacy Initiative and Privacy Program
Agenda:
1. 5:00pm: Call to Order, determination of quorum
2. 5:05pm: Review and approval of July 6 meeting minutes
3. 5:10pm: Open Forum
4. 5:15pm: Discussion with Oakland Police Department Chief Kirkpatrick regarding the August 16 ICE raid
5. 5:35pm: Discuss and take possible action on Oakland Police Department Immigration Policy No. 415
6. 5:50pm: Review and take possible action on an ordinance prohibiting City business with vendors that provide services to ICE
7. 6:10pm: Staff status update on Surveillance Equipment Ordinance labor discussions
8. 6:15pm: Staff status update on database review project
9. 6:25pm: Review and discussion of Seattle citywide Privacy Initiative and Privacy Program
Learn How to Encrypt Your Phone – expert trainers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation will offer a hands-on, intermediate-level workshop covering mobile encryption apps for voice, text, chat, and full-disk encryption. Bring your phone and bring a friend so you can test out the encryption apps together. Space is limited. Registration is required—please call (510) 238-6931 at least seven days prior to the event. For information, contact Mana Tominaga, Supervising Librarian, at mtominaga@oaklandlibrary.org or (510) 238-6611.
The famous Days in Solidarity with African People national speaking tour, hosted by the Uhuru Solidarity Movement, will kick off its 2017 campaign themed “Unity Through Reparations” in Oakland, CA at the historic Uhuru House at 7911 MacArthur Blvd on October 5th at 6:30pm.
Speakers:
Keynote: Omali Yeshitela, Chairman of the African People’s Socialist Party.
Featured: Penny Hess, Chairwoman of the African People’s Solidarity Committee
Featured: Eritha “Akilé” Cainion, Chair of the Committee for Justice for the Three Drowned Black Girls and District 6 City Council candidate in St Petersburg, FL
Featured: Jesse Nevel, Chair of the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and mayoral candidate in St Petersburg, FL
Transition Berkeley and Center for Biological Diversity Present:
Please join us for a screening of “OR7: The Journey.” This inspiring film is about Oregon’s famous wandering gray wolf, OR-7, who made international news after trekking hundreds of miles across Oregon down into Northern California — the first wolf in the Golden State in nearly 90 years. OR-7 is back in Oregon now with a mate; they’ve had pups four years in a row, two of which have traveled to California on their own. Thrillingly, one of them found a mate and formed the Lassen pack right here in California, and had pups of their own this year.
Not sure how OR-7 and other wolves establishing territory here changes the game for wolves and people on the West Coast? The Center for Biological Diversity’s Amaroq Weiss will host a post-screening Q&A to answer questions about the film, share wolf news at the state and federal level, and explain how you can get involved.
Meet and greet at 6:30 pm before the film. Bring healthy vegetarian snack or a refreshment to share if you can. The program begins at 7:00 pm. This event sponsored by: Transition Berkeley, Center for Biological Diversity and the BFUU SJC.
Join a presentation and discusiion with the author of “Turn the Guns Around: Mutinies, Soldier Revolts and Revolutions”, John Catalinotto. He will be with us by Skype, but it will be fully interactive, with plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions.
From a review of the book by El Tee “For young revolutionaries picking up “Turn the Guns Around,” I would encourage us to remember that who we are in this period matters — particularly for LGBTQ youth, youth of color and other oppressed youth. And who we are should make us better at fighting for our class interests, should raise questions of how we organize, and not whether or not to organize.’
“We can only break the chain of command across all sectors of our society through unity and solidarity. Our class is made up of workers and oppressed people globally, of different nationalities, abilities, genders, sexualities and more. The wretched conditions of capitalism bind us together and make our class infinitely stronger and more revolutionary than the bosses who seek to make us inhuman.’
“We have picked up the guns in a different period, but in the legacy of revolutionary struggle no less. There will be unlikely alliances formed; there will be many people coming to consciousness but realizing that they can’t do it on their own; and we must be bold because we know that our vision for a socialist world is not only possible — it is inevitable. Catalinotto’s book tells the stories and the history of what will make it so.”
It’s not necessary to read the book in advance, but if you want, it’s available on Kindle here for $1.99: https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Guns-Around-Mutinies-Revolutions/dp/0692813942
We’ll also have copies for sale at the meeting.
The space is wheelchair accessible and we will provide refreshments
Come by our open Delegates Meetings every First and Third Thursday of the month at 7pm! We’ll give space to brief announcements, updates from working groups, proposals up for consensus, and discussion around important issues. The schedule is created weekly at the following url: https://pad.riseup.net/p/omninom